Marit Strømøy and the Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team have been leaving nothing to chance in the build up to Sunday’s race. The Norwegian admitted that she and Polish team-mate Bartek Marszalek have new engines and propellers for the weekend. She said: “It’s been a short time between the end of 2022 and the start of 2023, so we are working double time to sort all the loose ends. We feel confident that we will get back on the podium again this season.”

American Brent Dillard is heading into his first ever F1H2O race after making the giant step-up from F2. He said: “We are on a giant learning curve coming here for the first time and spending time with my new team. I feel very relaxed and confident that we will make a mark on this sport. It has been a dream of mine to race in F1H2O. The China CTIC Team is very professional and they are making it very comfortable for me to slide into my new seat. They are learning a bit of my southern American accent and I, their French style as well!”

Erik Stark returns to the paddock with the Victory Team for the first time since 2019. “I’m truly over the moon after returning to F1H2O and the Victory Team,” said the Swede.

“We are all coming out of the starting gate feeling fresh and ready to impress. I’ve come so close to winning a title before and I now know what it takes to get the job done.”

Tomorrow (Friday), teams commence the first two-hour free practice session on the Lake Toba course from 11.00hrs (04.00hrs CET). The challenging nine-pin course features two right-hand corners (yellow buoys) and a pit straight of 520 metres.

Bartek has slept 10 h last week.

While chatting to different friends online tonight I found the real powerboat hero this weekend

Bartek Marszalek..

Bartek is normally racing F1 together with Marit Strømøy. A real fighter, and a man with a big heart. When I asked him of the preparation for the upcoming F2 event in Augustow, Poland he said

Hi Frode, it’s really bad here in Poland and war has escalate every day. I just came back from the border, and I helped another group of people. For today the race is on. I’m personally involved in all it and I’m only one person who can make this race. If the war will stop and my country will be safe, we will race.

 

For the last week I have slept for just ten hours, and I need now to focus to help. I will keep you posted but for today the race is on and I’m planning to make it genuinely nice event.

I texted him again, and I asked, try to explain, what are you doing Bartek ?

It’s something new for me. Today I spend few hours on the border, and I saw all this pain and thousands of women’s and child’s who came into my country… there is no words… I’m traveling every day to help people. Im taking care of these women’s and I’m finding homes for them.

 

Polish people are amazing, and everybody are incredibly open. But it’s not easy because every day we get another 120 000 new incomers

And he continued

We really need to be ready for everything as they have lost all hope and now the Russians are pushing with 100% violence. But I hope the world will win with this crazy situation. Let’s pray my friend.

Another good powerboat friend of mine, former Defence Minister of Latvia posted on Fb yesterday 

From the beginning of the war, I have a clear direction for how we should act for ourselves, i.e. for the whole of NATO. The countries that guaranteed Ukraine’s security and indivisibility with Russia in the Budapest Treaty will militarily assist Ukraine because the treaty has been broken. The rest of NATO is changing its old-fashioned way of thinking (that they must defend their own only if someone has attacked us) immediately go to aid and kick Russia out of Ukraine. This is legitimate for me!

 

Some would say that this is how a nuclear war can begin. Yes, but we are remarkably close to nuclear disaster today. Beyond that, there is no real alternative but to stop the attacker. Every day that we hesitate only makes it harder and harder. Seems simple, but someone has to make a decision, and the later they do, the worse it gets. This must be done while Ukraine manages to resist. Are there really no politicians like Zelensky in the EU and NATO who can do that?

So, can you understand why it’s so easy for me to choose my personal real hero this weekend?

It’s definitely Bartek. He makes me proud, and he gives me hope.

Let’s pray that this will be over sooner rather than later.